No Homeless Here!

What do you do when you have nowhere to go?  This question has to once again be answered by a group of homeless people in Lawton that had made makeshift homes in a mall area in Elmer Thomas Park.

The city "cleared out" the area yesterday, moving people, cleaning debris and bulldozing the ramshackle boxes and other items that had made a temporary home for at least a dozen homeless people.

The city has known about the the area that is just north of Railroad Street and west of I-44 for the last 4 months.  The city made a plan to remove the people and gave them about a week's notice to clear out.

But where do these people go?  The Salvation Army says they made room for the homeless to stay there, but many have problems that prevent them from making good decisions.

The city doesn't really have a plan other than offering the beds at the Salvation Army.  In a quote from KSWO TV yesterday, city officials said if the people are going to be homeless in Lawton, they will have to be mobile and not squat in any public areas.